Tehrān, also spelled Teheran ,
the capital city of Iran and the centre of the province (ostān) of Tehrān, located in north-central Iran at the foot of the Elburz mountain range. Since its establishment as the capital city by Āghā Moḥammad Khān more than 200 years ago, Tehrān has grown from a small city to a major metropolis: situated in an urban region of 12 million inhabitants, Tehrān is Iran’s largest city and one of the most populous cities of the world. Area city, 270 square miles (707 square km). Pop. (2006 est.) city, 7,797,520.